Ashford’s Leon Camier looked like taking his second podium of the season during Sunday’s final race at the Superbike World Championship from Portimao in Portugal only to see his hopes disappear in the closing stages.

Camier started from ninth on the grid and had made his way up to sixth by lap-three. He continued to close the gap on the leading riders as the race progressed and was in a position to challenge championship leader Max Biaggi when the race entered its final few laps. Camier tried to make a pass on the Italian, as the Aprilia rider ran slightly wide, but Biaggi didn’t see Camier on his inside and cut back across, accidently hitting the FIXI Crescent Suzuki man.

Camier stayed on-board and gave chase again, before making another attempt to get past Biaggi, he succeeded briefly, but couldn’t make the pass stick, so continued to line up the Italian for another attack. Unfortunately disaster struck for Camier before he had the opportunity, as a transmission issue forced him into the pits and retirement from the race at the start of the very last lap – ruefully wondering what might have been.

In a disjointed and difficult first race, Camier was again looking menacing as he sat in eighth place and within touching distance of the riders in front, but due to an incident in the wet conditions the race was red flagged. A rider crashed on one of the many damp patches that were a result of the torrential rain that had fallen earlier and a re-start over 16-laps was ordered. Camier couldn’t quite find his rhythm in the second staging of the interrupted race and after a five-way battle for eighth place; he eventually finished in 11th on his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R.

Speaking after the race, Camier was left to reflect on a mixed weekend:

“The FIXI Crescent Suzuki worked really well in the morning warm-up, which took place in fully wet conditions, so I was quite happy about riding the bike in the same conditions in race one. When the race was restarted, the track was not completely wet and it began to dry out in some places. The settings we had just didn’t work as well as we hoped and I had to get round as best I could.

“Fortunately, race two was dry. I attacked right from the start and moved up the field. It took a bit of time to get past Guintoli, but once I had overtaken him I set about Biaggi. It was a close battle – close enough for us to make contact – and I really believed I could find a way past, make it stick and take third spot.

“I had a few problems with the gearbox during the race and then the bike locked up on me with two laps to go and I had to take to the run-off. I tried to keep going, but it happened a couple of times more and nearly spat me off, so I had no choice but to pull out. I’m happy though because the bike has come on a lot in the recent months and I now know we can fight with the best.”

Sunday’s races saw two different winners as Tom Sykes triumphed in race one, with Eugene Laverty on an Aprilia taking victory in the second event. Max Biaggi retained, and increased, his championship lead, with Sykes in second and Marco Melandri – who crashed in race one and was unable to participate in race two – now in third in the title chase.

FIXI Crescent Suzuki will next head to France, as the championship draws to a close, for the final two races of the season at Magny Cours on Sunday 7th October.

 

Portimao – FIM Superbike World Championship – Race one:

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 31’42.011: 2. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 31’42.311: 3. Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati) 31’44.743: 4. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 31’53.575: 5. Brett McCormick (Ducati) 31’53.782: 11. LEON CAMIER (FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI) 32’13.721: 12. JOHN HOPKINS (FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI) 32’15.178:

Portimao – FIM Superbike World Championship – Race two:

1. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 38’35.105: 2. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 38’35.267: 3. Biaggi 38’38.871: 4. Guintoli 38’45.545: 5. Checa 38’55.258: 11. JOHN HOPKINS (FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI) 39’22.919: DNF. LEON CAMIER (FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI):

World Championship Classification:

1. Biaggi 347: 2. Sykes 316.5: 3. Marco Melandri (BMW) 308.5: 4. Checa 278.5: 5. Rea 255.5: 14. LEON CAMIER (FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI) 109.5: 19. JOHN HOPKINS (FIXI CRESCENT SUZUKI) 44: